After my college graduation I suddenly had a whole lot of free time and I didn't quite know what to do with myself. That's when I discovered the Public Library. Since then I've been reading non-stop. Some books have been good, some books great, and others ... I'm ashamed to admit that I read them at all. But alas, I have thoughts about every book I read and thus Brooke's Book Reviews was created.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Enna Burning

First paragraph: "The woman bore a scorch mark from her chin to her brow. The vision in her left eye was still blurry, as though she were looking through a scratched pane. She had been walking away from the burning for a few weeks by now and so supposed the eye would never heal, even if she lived long enough to give it time. Closing her bad eye, she squinted to see where she was going. There was a patch of greenness on the horizon that stretched into the east. A forest. Perhaps that would be far enough away."

Review: As always Shannon Hale has written an amazing story. Enna's brother, Leifer, has found a way to control fire. After his discovery he starts to change. Enna fears for him but soon realizes she may need to use it in order to save her country, Bayern, who is at war. She struggles with the knowledge of fire but has her friends to support her along the way.

This book is a pseudo sequel to the book The Goose Girl. It has all the same great characters, is set about 2 years after The Goose Girl, but it is told from another character's perspective. I really enjoyed the chance to get to better know another character from a great story.

Hale has a real knack for getting you into the story. They way she writes draws you in and allows you to surrender to an alternate reality. I believe her greatest feat is the reality she gives to things that are impossible. She gives wind a voice, and yet, it still reminds me of wind - it isn't human. It's simple. I love that.